


Blood is Thicker than Water

by orphan_account



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Blood, Implied abuse, Mental Illness, Minor panic, dad!schlatt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:01:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29078271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Tubbo is kicked out of Schlatt's house, he meets up with Tommy and Wilbur. Things quickly change for the trio and families quickly change.
Kudos: 12





	Blood is Thicker than Water

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warnings for: Blood, Implied abuse, and minor panic attacks
> 
> Please be cautious as you read!

“Tubbo, come eat dinner.” Tubbo jumped at Schlatt’s call, shoving the journal he had been reading back into the chest beneath his bed. 

“Coming!” He called, closing the lid softly. He would be sneaking out later to return the journal to the chest in the woods. From there, Tommy would pick it up the next day and write his response to Tubbo’s notes. Then he’d return it and Tubbo would continue the cycle. 

The two boys knew they would have to find a new way to communicate the minute Schlatt revoked Tommy and Wilbur’s citizenship. Tubbo had initially been torn between following his friends and staying with L’Manberg. His home. In the end, he ended up staying, and Schlatt took him in since he no longer could stay with Philza. 

Philza would never admit it but Tubbo knew he was angry with him for not following Tommy and Wilbur and staying behind. He also knew Philza was angry with him for sheltering with Schlatt, even though Schlatt was Tubbo’s only choice. 

“Tubbo?”

Tubbo shook his head to clear the old memories and thoughts and pushed himself up off his floor. He opened the door to his bedroom to find Schlatt at the end of the hallway, looking rather concerned. 

“Sorry, I got distracted!” Tubbo smiled at Schlatt and the pair returned to the kitchen. The table was set with carrots, beef, and mushroom stew. It smelled delicious. 

Tubbo and Schlatt sat across from each other and ate in silence, despite his best efforts to ignore the swirling thoughts, Tubbo quickly became lost in the past again. 

Living with Schlatt wasn’t actually all that bad, in fact, there were times where Tubbo swore the man actually cared for him. It was most difficult when he first moved in. Schlatt was often out of the house and Tubbo would follow him around, ignoring confused looks and nasty glares shot his way. He could practically hear Techno whispering in his ear, _he’s using you, you’re just a pawn-_

“Tubbo?”

For the second time that day Tubbo was pulled from his own head by Schlatt’s questioning voice. “Hm? He raised his eyebrows at Schlatt, pausing in his chewing to take a sip of water. 

“Are you alright? You’ve been rather distracted today.”

“No, I’m fine. Just tired, it’s been a long day.” This, fortunately, was a believable lie, as they were preparing for the festival in the upcoming week. At least, Tubbo thought it would be a believable lie. 

“Tubbo.” 

“Hm?”

“I found the journals.” 

Tubbo felt his whole body go rigid, his gaze locked onto the pile of carrots on his plate and he pressed his lips into a thin line. There was a long stretch of uncomfortable silence as he tried to figure out what to say. Schlatt’s one condition- the one thing he made Tubbo promise when he first opened his doors- was that he would not make contact with Tommy nor Wilbur ever again. 

“Schlatt, you have to understand-” He didn’t get very far into explaining himself before Schlatt exploded. 

He slammed his hand onto the table and pushed his chair back, knocking it to the floor. Tubbo flinched back, sliding his own chair out and instinctively putting his hands up to protect himself. 

“I don’t have to understand anything, I had one- _one_ \- rule.” Schlatt was eerily calm, making Tubbo wish he was yelling instead. There was another long stretch of silence before Schlatt spoke again. “If I am not good enough family for you, then leave.” 

“Schlatt-”

“Leave Tubbo, get out of my house. Now. In fact, get out of Manberg.” 

The look in Schlatt’s eyes made Tubbo press his lips together again. He slowly backed away from the table and out of the room. He could feel Schlatt’s eyes on his back as he turned around and walked out the front door. 

He continued to walk slowly until he was sure Schlatt would be unable to see him, then he broke out into a run. His heart was pounding and he could feel the panic settling deep into his chest. His feet met the soft Earth over and over until he broke the treeline, marking the boundary of Manberg. He ran until he couldn’t suck any more air into his lungs and then he collapsed against a tree. 

He let out choked sobs and gasp, trying to get some oxygen into his lungs and calm himself down. His mind was racing. _He had no one, he had lost Manberg. He was alone and he had no one who wanted him. It wasn’t fair._

Tubbo pulled at his hair and then slammed his fists into the ground. He repeated this a few times until the sting on his scalp was easier to focus on than the anxiety crawling in his stomach. He leaned further back onto the tree, letting the rough bark bite into his skin.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed there, it was long enough for his sobs to die down into soft whimpers. It was long enough for the sun to sink below the horizon. Tubbo hadn’t even realized it until he heard the familiar hiss of a creeper preparing to blow from his left. 

His eyes widened as he launched himself out of his sitting position, he just barely caught the edge of the explosion and was shoved to the ground from the force. He covered his head as the tree he’d been leaning against flew in all different directions.

When he was sure it was safe he slowly stood up, checking himself for any major injuries. He had a few cuts and he knew there would be new bruises forming tomorrow. But he was overall alright- he just needed to figure out a way to survive the night. He started walking.

\-----

At first Tubbo stuck to the path he knew, dodging creepers and zombies and skeletons alike. It wasn’t until he came upon an enderman that he took pause, debating his next options. He honestly wasn't sure where he was heading, he had simply been walking away from Manberg, trying to put distance between himself and what he lost. 

Endermen were dangerous creatures, without any armor it would take less than three hits for this one to kill Tubbo. It was because of this that Tubbo deviated from the path he knew and turned left, heading deeper into woods and hoping to find a place to settle for the night. 

For Tubbo, this would be his first mistake of many that night. He tried to keep quiet, not wanting to alert any mobs of his presence. This proved to be near impossible and it only took about ten minutes before he was sprinting again, this time for his life. 

An arrow whizzed past his cheeks, just barely skimming his skin. A moment later another arrow flew, this one landed solidly in his shoulder and he screamed, falling forward from the impact it made. He could hear the zombie growls growing closer from behind him and closed his eyes tight. Being torn apart was about the worst way Tubbo could think to go but there was nothing he could do.

Only, instead of raging hot pain, the next thing Tubbo felt was a spatter of wetness on his bare arms. The zombie’s growls turned pained and the sound of squelching flesh signaled their deaths. He waited until it was completely silent before pushing himself up from the ground, using his good arm. 

Pain pulsed through his other arm and he cradled it to his chest, tears pricking at his eyes. He made eye contact with his saviors and his heart soared. Wilbur and Tommy stood, both looking horrified and confused. Tubbo opened his mouth to speak but the only thing that came out was a hurt gasp and a mumble of words. It didn’t make any sense until he looked down and realized his wound had formed a pool of blood at his feet. He wondered for a moment how he hadn't felt the wetness of blood soaking his shirt before he felt himself falling forward once more. Darkness creeped into his vision and the last thing he heard was Tommy calling his name. 

\-----

“I don’t know what happened, the last I heard from him Schlatt was planning a festival soon and everything was fine.” Tubbo’s eyelids felt heavy as the familiar voice floated to his ears. He forced them open, his vision blurry before they closed again. 

“Well we need to figure it out. This could be detrimental to us winning the War.” There was a pause before the second voice spoke again, this time much softer and full of sadness. “I hope he wakes up.”

 _Me, they’re talking about me._ Tubbo forced his eyes open again and let out a low groan. His body felt numb and his vision blurred in and out before focusing well enough for him to see who was with him. 

Tommy was by his bedside in an instant, shushing him softly and making sure he didn’t try to sit up. As soon as Tubbo saw his face it all came rushing back, Schlatt yelling, the enderman, the skeleton and the zombies. He expected for the pain in his shoulder to return but there was nothing and for a moment he was scared he no longer had an arm. 

“Don’t worry. It’s just healing potion. We didn’t want you to wake up in pain.” Tubbo managed a soft smile and he let his eyes close again. He could always trust Tommy to know what he was thinking. “But you aren’t completely well and we’re all out of potion for now. So take it easy.”

“As if I would move even if I could.” Tubbo spoke his first words since he left Schlatt’s and his voice came out squeaky and hoarse. He could practically see Tommy’s grin through his closed eyes. “Tommy, I’m- I’m sorry.” 

The mood of the room shifted as Tommy glanced at Wilbur who had his arms crossed. Wilbur sighed and stepped forward, kneeling down so he was at Tommy’s level and could run a hand through Tubbo’s hair. 

“I’m just glad we got to you on time Tubbo. Please rest up. We can talk when you’re feeling better.” Wilbur would be lying if he said he wasn’t fighting back tears. Seeing Tubbo hurt and the fear Tommy hid so well most of the time reminded him just how young they really were. Too young to be pulled into this world of war Dream had crafted. “We’ll wake you if anything happens, sleep.” 

Tubbo didn’t argue, falling back into peaceful rest as Wilbur continued to stroke his hair and Tommy held his hand. 

\-----

It was the next day when Tubbo woke again, this time it was to an empty room. He could move now and he pushed himself up into a sitting position, being careful not to jostle his shoulder too much. There was a quickly scribbled note tacked to the wall next to him and he squinted as he read it over. 

‘ _Gone for food. Will be back soon. Breakfast is in the furnace.’_

Tommy’s tell tale signature was beneath the words and Tubbo reached out to trace a hand over it. The breakfast in the furnace was now considered lunch and he ate it quickly before further exploring the base. It wasn’t too big, it consisted of the bedroom which had two beds, a brewing room, and a kitchen. The way out was a ladder in the kitchen, tucked into the corner. 

Tubbo climbed it and within a few minutes he was climbing onto the grass. The sun was directly overhead and he shielded his face with his forearm, trying to see if Tommy and Wilbur were close. He jumped when a dog came up to him and shoved their nose into his free hand. “Oh hello.” He muttered, kneeling down to pet the dog. 

He ended up sitting outside for a good half hour, feeding the dog small bits of meat and running his hands through his fur. It was peaceful, a change from the always bustling streets of Manberg. Out here there was no sound, just his own breathing. 

At least until he heard Tommy and Wilbur’s footsteps and looked up to see the pair approaching him. “Tubbo, you’re up.” Tommy smiled at him and the three boys descended the ladder again, not before Tubbo made sure his new dog had enough meat to last him a while. When they reached the bottom Tommy and Wilbur both pulled their packs off their back. 

Tommy pulled out a couple spider eyes and his pickaxe, setting the eyes in a chest nearby. Wilbur had a bit more in his own pack, emptying out iron and gold pieces and throwing them into the furnace to melt. When they both were cleaned out Wilbur gestured to the table in the middle of the kitchen. 

They all sat down and Tubbo leaned forward onto the table. “You want to know what happened.”

  
“Yeah, that would be nice.” Wilbur himself leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Considering you almost died and all.”

“Schlatt found our journals.” Tubbo looked at Tommy now before turning his gaze to his hands. “He found out I was working as a double agent and he kicked me out. He kicked me out of Manberg.”

“L’Manberg.” Wilbur corrected absently, ignoring the angry look he got from Tommy for interrupting Tubbo. “That doesn’t make sense, why wouldn’t he just kill you?”

Tubbo shrugged, thinking back in the silence that followed. Schlatt had said, _if I am not good enough family for you, then leave._ “Oh.” Tubbo said softly in realization. Both Tommy and Wilbur perked up. 

“What is it?”

“Schlatt didn’t kill me because he _cares about me._ ” 

Tommy stared at Tubbo, open mouthed. Wilbur’s reaction scared Tubbo more. A slow smile spread across his older brother’s face. A plan was forming in his head, and from the look in Wilbur’s eyes, Tubbo didn’t think he was going to like it very much. 

\-----

Tubbo had been right about Wilbur’s plan. Tommy tried to argue but Tubbo decided he wanted to help. The insane tone in Wilbur’s voice when he talked about L’Manberg scared him and if getting the country back would keep them all safe- well- that’s all Tubbo ever wanted. 

The plan relied on Tubbo returning to Schlatt in one piece, using Schlatt’s apparent care for the boy as leverage. Wilbur would reach out to Philza to get their father to plan a meeting with the current president, a meeting where Tommy and Wilbur would threaten Tubbo’s life in exchange for allowance back into Manberg. 

The week was spent planning, Wilbur met up with Philza by himself twice while Tommy and Tubbo stuck together, making trips to collect more supplies and crafting weapons and armor. Tommy was silent through the entire thing, barely even looking at Tubbo even when Tubbo spoke. It was around day four that Tubbo finally got sick of it. 

“Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same thing.” Tubbo said passively, adjusting his bows aim and letting an arrow fly. It lodged into a nearby chicken and Tubbo pulled another bow from his pack. 

“What?” Tommy muttered, the first words he’d said to Tubbo since he first agreed to the plan. 

“Don’t act like you wouldn’t play the bait Tommy. You’re refusing to talk to me, to even look at me. But if you were the one Wilbur wanted to exchange you’d do it in a heartbeat.” 

“Anything for L’Manberg, right?” Tommy was looking at Tubbo now, no longer focused on hunting. Tubbo sighed and lowered his bow, turning to face Tommy. 

“Anything for Wilbur Tommy. This war is breaking him and I know you see it too. And I’m scared that if it doesn’t end soon it’ll break you too.”

Tommy’s face changed, melting from a deep frown to a trembling lip and teary eyes. His next words were a whisper. “I don’t want to lose you.” 

“You’re not. It’ll be just like before except we won’t use the journals, we’ll just meet in person. We won’t get to talk as often as before but as soon as the war ends it’ll be me and you again. Just like it was when we first met.” 

A single tear fell down Tommy’s cheek and he sniffed, wiping it away. He tucked his arrows away and slipped his bow over his shoulder. “Let’s just have the rest of the day for us yeah? A little bit of calm before the storm.” 

“Sure, the calm before the storm. Just us Tommy.” Tubbo slipped his own bow over his shoulder and the boys went off to find some trouble to get into.

\-----

The day of the trade off came faster than Tubbo wanted it to. The trio woke up early to pack what they needed and met Phil a few miles away from the base. With the way Philza looked at his eldest son, Tubbo had a feeling this was slowly becoming a Wilbur rescue mission for them all. A chance at redemption for Phil and fear for Tubbo and Tommy. 

They were meeting Schlatt on the outskirts of Manberg, Tubbo wasn’t entirely sure what Wilbur told him, but he had a feeling Schlatt was only showing up to take him back in. The four men walked together in silence, speaking would feel too final. As if they were forced to say their goodbyes. 

They reached Schlatt by the time the sun was directly overhead again, the man himself was leaning against the entrance to Manberg, chewing on an apple. 

“Ah gentlemen, welcome. It took you quite a while to get here.” Schlatt didn’t look at Tubbo who had been directed to stay halfway tucked behind Wilbur and Tommy. Philza stepped to Schlatt’s side, his work as the trio’s guide done. He looked sad to not stand with them, but Tubbo couldn’t blame him for wanting to stay with the country. He had made the same choice after all. 

“Cut the small talk Schlatt. It’s time for you to make your choice.” Wilbur pulled Tubbo forward, there was the sound of metal scraping against a sheath and suddenly Tubbo has a sword pressed against his neck. His eyes widened, and he looked at Tommy who looked as scared as him. This wasn’t part of the discussed plan. 

Schlatt stood up straight, tossing the apple aside and sneering. “You’d kill your own brother? Go ahead, I don’t care about him.” 

“Lie.” Wilbur muttered, pressing the sword further into his skin, this time breaking it. Tubbo could feel blood pulsate from the cut and slide down his neck into his shirt. He yelped in surprise but quickly quieted. Tommy stepped forward but all it took was one look from Wilbur for him to step back again. 

Schlatt’s eyes widened in shock and there was the sound of metal against a sheath again before he had his own sword in hand. He leveled it with Wilbur, lips curling back. “Let him go.” 

Wilbur laughed. “You know the bargain. Tommy gets partial citizenship in Manberg and Tubbo returns full time. Or I kill Tubbo. The only son you’ll ever have.” 

Hearing Wilbur refer to Tubbo as Schlatt’s son made Philza wince, but for Tubbo it almost made him feel like things could be okay. For a moment Tubbo expected Schlatt to turn around and for Wilbur to release him. But then Schlatt slid his sword away, regaining his composure. 

“Tommy can have partial citizenship. That is it. If he’s in Manberg when he isn’t supposed to be I’m killing him on the spot. Hand Tubbo over. Now.” Wilbur let the sword fall away from Tubbo’s throat and gave him a hard shove. 

Tubbo stumbled and fell into Schlatt’s arms, for the millionth time that week tears pricked at his eyes. Wilbur seemed to not care about him anymore, it didn’t feel like he was acting. 

“Tommy will be back later tonight.” Philza told Wilbur. “He can stay with me when he is here. I’ll look after him.” Wilbur gave a sharp nod, looking older than he ever had. Everyone watched him turn and go, disappearing back towards the base he and Tommy worked so hard to build. 

Schlatt didn’t give Tommy a chance to talk to Tubbo. He had Philza escort him away the minute they were inside Manberg’s walls. Tubbo was taken in the opposite direction back towards Schlatt’s house. Tommy had a feeling he and Tubbo wouldn’t get to talk for a while, but there was nothing he could do about it for now. 

\-----

“You’re stupid Tubbo.” Schlatt said once they were back home. Tubbo was sitting on the counter, looking up as Schlatt dressed his wound. “You’re utterly stupid. I told you, I warned you, Wilbur and Tommy are not your friends.”

“I know.” Tubbo spoke quietly, the events of the past few hours playing over and over in his head. When had Wilbur made the choice to really kill him? Why hadn’t Tubbo noticed the change? “I’m sorry Schlatt.” 

Schlatt sighed, finishing with the bandage and stepping back to run his hands through his hair, fingertips brushing over his horns. “You’re back now Tubbo. And alive. That’s what I care about.” 

Tubbo nodded and swallowed, sliding off the counter. “Is it alright if I go to my room for dinner?” Schlatt nodded and Tubbo headed down the hall, pausing when Schlatt called after him. 

“Tubbo?”

“Hm?”

“If I ever catch you even looking at Tommy or Wilbur again, I’ll kill you myself.”  
Tubbo met his eyes and saw the concern, the fear, and the anger all at once. He gave a small nod. “Yes sir.” He muttered before turning and closing his door. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a friend! You can find my original work on Tumblr @AnarchyWrites


End file.
